A Sky Full Of Stars
by Ataraxie
Summary: After five years without talking to each other, Harry and Hermione are forced to work together for a week. Will this old and strange sparkle between them come back again, this time stronger than before, or will they realise that their love was doomed from the beginning?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**This story will be shorter than my previous ones, and most of it is already written. I hope that you'll enjoy the ride.  
**

**PS: the italic parts indicate a memory.**

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**A Sky Full Of Stars**

**I**

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Kingsley Shacklebolt sighed for the umpteenth time, his hands crossed over his desk. In front of him, Harry James Potter slightly moved on his chair, visibly uncomfortable.

"Why are you saying me this, Minister? I don't think that it's a necessary information for our case."

The young wizard cleared his throat, twice, doing his best to keep his expression impassive.

"Actually, it's more than necessary for me to talk to you about her: I need you to work with Miss Granger in order to clear the name of one of our highly qualified Aurors."

"But she had nothing to do with this," Harry interjected. "I mean, she doesn't even work for us right now, and, as far as I'm concerned, there is no way for her to be involved in this case."

Harry was well-aware of what had happened to one of his fellow colleagues: he had been caught during a mission in America, and since then, everybody there thought that he was a spy for the English Ministry of Magic. The relations between the Magical New-York and London weren't the best lately, poisoned by some spying suspicious, along with an escalation of violence of words between the two countries. Edward Tellington had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Harry was sure of it. The thing was that the Minister of Magic of the United States was sure of the contrary, and that he would do everything in his power to show to the world that he was right.

"Don't be so sure about it, Harry. Hermione currently works for the Ministry of Magic of the United States, and she is one of their best assets when it comes to legal files. As you may now, I tried several times to hire her, but she always refused."

"And what do you want me to do? To find a way to convince her to work for us?" Harry laughed hollowly. "Come on, Kingsley, you know how my relationship with Hermione is lately: non-existent."

"It's not what I'm asking you to do, to be honest," Kingsley explained. "What I need you to do is a bit more complicated, actually. Hermione is supposed to arrive in London tomorrow, and she will come to the Ministry early in the morning. Peter Grindwald, the Minister of Magic of the United States wants her to investigate on Tellington work, to talk to his colleagues, to gather as much as information as he needs at the moment. And you, as the Head of the Auror office, you have to work with her, to be with her while she's here. We can't let her have more information about us, so you need to check over her during her stay among us."

"No. _Fucking_. Way," Harry retorted, his arms crossed over his chest. "She doesn't even talk to me anymore, I don't see why you are asking _me_ to do such a thing. Anyone can do this work."

"What image Grindwald would have of us if you are not able to do your own job, Harry? You perfectly know that this is a protocol matter: she will be under your supervision during her stay here, and it is your job, as the Head of the Auror office to watch over her. You know that I wouldn't ask you something like that if it wasn't necessary."

Harry grumbled something incomprehensible, his green eyes staring into space, as if he was trying to focus on what the Minister had just said to him. He had understood every word, of course; but for some reason, his brain didn't seem to realise what he had to do. The only thing that he was aware of was that he would have to see Hermione Granger once again, five years after her awkward departure, five years after that _incident_ between them, that oh-so strange accident that changed everything between them.

"You have no choice, Harry," Kingsley went on, knowing that the young man in front of him wouldn't say anything more.

Slowly, Harry raised from his chair, still not looking at the Minister of Magic. He headed to the door of his office in silence, at a slow pace. Arrived next to the door, he turned around, his eyes shining with an unusual light.

"I'll do my job, Minister."

**XxX**

"_He left. He just... he left," Hermione whispered, her head buried in her hands. She sat dumbly on the bed under the tent, her shoulders being startled by her intermittent sobs. _

_Ron had stormed out of the tent a few seconds earlier, after an ugly fight with Harry. The latter still had his jaw clenched, more disturbed than he seemed to be – he didn't want to worry Hermione more than she already was. _

_The locket that Ron had worn during so many days was on the floor, and Harry bent over to put it back around his neck: one should wear it, and obviously, Hermione wasn't in a mood good enough to wear it. _

"_Please, don't cry," he tried to calm her down, while Ron's words were still echoing into his head. His words about Ginny, about how detached Harry was toward his sister when she was obviously not safe at Hogwarts, everything came back to him. But what was he able to do where he was? He was trying to find a way to safe them all, and Ron wasn't clever enough to understand it. _

"_It is this damn locket," Hermione retorted bitterly, wiping of her tears. "He said all these things because he was under its spell, I know that he wouldn't have said something like that otherwise." _

_Harry wasn't sure of it, to be honest. Inwardly, he remembered about Ron's reaction during their fourth year, when he accused him to have put his name into the Goblet of Fire; his coldness, his bitterness, everything. _

"_We have... we need to destroy it, Harry. We can't stay in this situation any longer. Who knows what could happen if we wear it too much? You could... I don't want to lose you too." _

_Harry sighed, and headed to the bed where Hermione was, before seating right next to her. Awkwardly, he put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. _

"_You are not going to lose me, Hermione. We are going to destroy this locket together, we have to." _

_Hermione nodded in silence, sniffing from time to time, doing her best to calm down. _

"_I feel so stupid," she muttered, her head resting on Harry's shoulder._

"_Why?," her friend asked in a quiet voice._

"_I didn't see it coming," she explained. "I didn't realise that he was so affected by this dark magic. I should have..."_

"_It's not your fault, and it's not Ron's fault either," Harry explained, even if it costed him to clear Ron's name after their fight. "Don't blame yourself: you have nothing to do with it." _

_She remained silent, and soon enough, Harry realised that Hermione was about to sleep. To cry after a long day could have this effect on someone, Harry thought while moving a little to give her some space to lay down on the bed. When he got up from the bed, Hermione opened her eyes, slightly confused. _

"_Where are you going?" she asked, her eyes asking him to stay with her. _

"_Not too far. You can sleep, it's late anyway. I'll be just outside the tent if you need me."_

_Hermione vehemently shook her head, visibly not happy by what Harry just said. _

"_No, please, don't leave," she begged, her voice hoarse. "Just stay with me tonight." _

"_I'll come back in a few minutes, I prom–"_

"_Please," she insisted. _

_What Harry saw in the bottom of Hermione's eyes at this moment, he would never forget it. It was a mingling of pain, sorrow and fear; fear to be alone in this mess, fear to see him leave just like Ron did, fear to lose the only person that she had left. _

_And for once, Harry was feeling the same things. He didn't want to be alone either, he didn't want to see her turn her back on him, he didn't want to lose her. Hermione was the only person that he had left in the middle of nowhere, and they needed to be there for each other; and for now, the least that he could do was to lay down on this bed with her, and to take her into his arms, just for her to feel that she wasn't alone anymore. _

_Then, slowly, without even uttering another word, Harry get rid of his shoes, while Hermione did the same. With a smile, she moved on the bed, just enough to give him some space to lay down. _

"_Thank you," she muttered when he was next to her. _

_Her hand searched for his, and when she finally found it, she squeezed it lightly, just to be sure that he was here, and that he wouldn't go anywhere without her noticing. _

"_You're welcome," Harry said back, before pulling the duvet on their still dressed bodies. _

_Hermione then turned around, facing the tent, her head rested on the pillow. _

"_You can get up once I'm asleep, you know," she said, and Harry took her into his arms, his breath caressing her exposed neck. _

"_I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, before muttering a spell to dim the lamps. "Sleep tight, Hermione." _

_His friend let out a sigh, and a few minutes later, she was fast asleep. Even though, Harry didn't move, giving her the attention that she needed at this exact moment. For the first time in weeks, he felt safe, and, given Hermione's calm breath, he knew that he wasn't the only one who felt this. _

_They were safe together. _

**XxX**

That night, Harry didn't sleep well – didn't sleep at all even. He had left the Auror office early, not wanting to talk to anyone. Some of his coworkers would be surprised to know how affected by Hermione's upcoming visit he was. Wasn't she supposed to be his best friend? Weren't they a part of the Golden Trio, the three most cherished persons of England? Of course they were, and Harry couldn't forget it. They were supposed to be a team, but so far, things had deteriorated between them. Even Ron wasn't really close to him anymore, but not for the same reasons: with his work as a professional Quidditch player, the redhead didn't have a lot of time to spend in London, and he was always travelling around the world. So was Harry, when his missions as an Auror obliged him to go abroad. It was nice to travel, nice to see other countries, something that he hadn't had the opportunity to do during his youth. But it was also nice to stay in London, to enjoy these peaceful moments far from danger.

At least, it was what these moments were supposed to be: peaceful.

But now, Harry wasn't sure that it was a good idea to stay in London for three weeks, before leaving again for another mission. Now that he knew that Hermione was supposed to come back, everything was different. From the beat of his heart – faster than ever – to the taste of his wine a few hours earlier, everything was different that night, as if his own body was trying to say something to say, to warn him that there was an upcoming danger dancing around.

A danger with chestnut curls and brown and vivid eyes.

Until now, Harry didn't even know that she was working for the American Ministry of Magic, and, to be honest, it wasn't something that he would have bet on. Hermione was a clever woman, of course, but the laws in America were totally different from the ones she was used to in England, and it could have been an obstacle to her career in such a demanding matter.

Nevertheless, Harry remembered that Kingsley told him how essential Hermione was to the Minister when it comes to the legal files, and he realised that it hadn't been an obstacle at all to the young woman's career.

It was almost three o'clock in the morning, and Harry drew on his cigarette for the last time, before crushing it into the ashtray. The latter was a gift from Kingsley, two years ago, when the Minister used to fulminate against Harry's habits to always look around in his office, searching for somewhere to crush his cigarette in. But now that the green-eyed wizard was trying to stop smocking, he had moved the ashtray from his office to his house. He hadn't used it in weeks, but at this moment, he really needed to calm himself down, at least to be less tense for the day to come.

Harry was at least sure about something: it would be an odd day. For years, he had tried to forget about her, forget about _what could have been if_... if things had been different, if they had taken other decisions instead of the ones that they had taken back then.

What had been done in the past couldn't be undone, and Harry was clever enough not to think otherwise. If there was something that he had learned with time passing by, it was that we always had to let go of the past.

But now, his past was coming back to haunt him.

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**I don't remember having read a story with Harry and Hermione not talking to each other, so I gave it a try. Let me know what you think of it. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Thank you for your positive answers to this story. I hope that you'll like this chapter as well!**

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**A Sky Full Of Stars**

**II**

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Hermione was playing with her pen absent-mindedly, her right leg moving at a fast tempo, a sign of her stress. From time to time, her movement stopped, and she wrote a few things on the piece of parchment in front of her; a few words only, not much, but it was enough for her to calm down for some seconds, just the time that she needed to stop thinking about the things that she didn't want to think about.

And above all, she didn't want to think about Harry Potter.

"Miss Granger?"

The voice of her assistant shook her out of her torpor, and the young woman almost jumped out of fear.

"Yes, I'm coming," she said, not even waiting for Patricia to tell her what she was supposed to do. Hermione knew perfectly well what she was supposed to do, thank you very much. She had feared this moment during days, and it all began when she had learned about Edward Tellington, this stupid Auror who had thought that it would be a good idea to go to the United States as a "_tourist"_. Thanks to Mr. Tellington – who was in custody right now, of course –, she was supposed to leave for London today, and to spend a few days at the Ministry of Magic of London.

At least, it was what the Minister of Magic of the United States had told her, two days ago. Hermione had of course asked if she was the only competent person to do it, and the Minister's answer had been positive. He wanted her to do it, because she was the person whom he trusted the most. And if there was something that Hermione didn't want to, it was to lose the trust of Peter Grindwald. He had helped her tremendously at her arrival at the Ministry four years ago, and she owed him a lot – she owed him almost _everything_.

"The Minister told me to give you this files, it will help you once in London," Patricia said when Hermione was next to her.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled at her while taking the pile of parchments. "Is it just about Mr. Tellington?"

"I don't think so. He just said that you will need it."

"Alright. Is the International Portkey ready?"

"Yes. You have ten minutes to leave."

"Good thing that my office is not far from it," Hermione sighed, doing her best not to make the pile of parchments fall on the floor.

"Do you want me to help you?" Patricia offered, noticing that Hermione was struggling with her small suitcase, her bag, and the parchments.

"No, thank you. I'll have to carry all of it alone once in London, so I better get used to it right now. Just promise me that you'll take care of my pot plants," she added, deadpan.

"Of course, Miss Granger," Patricia chuckled.

"_Hermione_," the young woman corrected her for the umpteenth time since Patricia's arrival at the Ministry.

"Of course, Hermione," she repeated conscientiously, but Hermione knew that she would go back to calling her Miss Granger in the future.

When Hermione entered into the room where the International Portkey was, she took a deep breath, hoping that Kingsley would be the one to welcome her at her arrival at the Ministry of Magic of London.

"Are you ready?," Patricia asked when she noticed that she was a little reluctant to take the crystal cup in front of her.

Hermione nodded without even thinking about it, and took a step toward the huge cup that looked alike the Goblet of Fire in many ways.

"Yes, I am," she muttered, not knowing if Patricia could hear her.

When she put her right hand on the crystal cup, everything around her start to move at a fast pace, faster and faster. Then, she closed her eyes.

**XxX**

_Knowing that your parents were dead was something; to finally be able to see their graves was another._

_From afar, Hermione looked at Harry, his head slightly bent over, his feet almost buried into the snow. He didn't move, as if he was slowly realising that it was real, that his parents were right in front of him even if he couldn't see them. _

_Hermione wasn't sure if she should step back for a few moments, to give Harry the solitude that he needed in such a hard moment, or to go next to him to show him that he wasn't alone, after all. Both of these options fought inside her head, but eventually, Harry turned around, his green eyes staring at her. _

_He gave her a shy smile, and Hermione understood that he needed her next to him. _

"_I'm here," she whispered while slowly taking his left hand into hers, her head resting on his shoulder._

_She didn't say anything else: it wasn't necessary. She just tried to give him all the courage that she had, all the faith in the future that she had left, even if it wasn't that much. _

"_Thank you," Harry eventually said, his hand firmly around hers._

"_It's the least that I can do." _

"_No... I'm not talking about being here for me. I want to thank you for following me in this crazy journey, while any of us knows what will happen in the future. Thank you for trusting me so much." _

_They remained silent during long minutes, too moved by the recent events to utter another word. They were together, and it was enough. _

_Enough for now._

**XxX**

"Miss Granger?"

"_Hermione_," she wanted to say, "_call me Hermione_". But she wasn't feeling well, and a certain form of dizziness took possession of her body. Her hand let out of the crystal Portkey, and she put her hand over her forehead.

"Are you alright?"

It was a man's voice, and she realised that she knew the owner of this voice. She didn't have the opportunity to hear it during the last few years, but she knew who it was.

"Minister...," she muttered, before taking the hand that was in front of her.

"Good thing that you know who I am," he said with a smile that she had so much trouble to see, before bending over to take the pile of parchments that was at her feet.

"I am not going to ask you if you travel well."

"There's no need to," Hermione sighed. "It's good to see you, Minister."

"The pleasure is mine. It's been a long time."

She simply nodded back before looking around, as if she was expecting to see someone anytime soon.

"Mr. Potter is in his office at the moment. He needs to take care of a few files before properly welcoming you."

"Oh, it's not a big deal," Hermione said in a rush. "Actually, I don't really need to see him to do my job here."

"It is the usual procedure, Miss Granger. Let us just hope that you are going to work together during this week."

"A week?"

Sure, Grindwald had told her about a few days of work, but _a week_?

"Aren't you aware? Your Portkey is supposed to work next Monday, around nine o'clock. There is no way for you to return to New-York before then."

Hermione pursed her lips, her hands clenched around the handle of her suitcase.

"Alright, it's fine. I just need to go to Mr. Tellington office if you don't mind."

"I would prefer for you to wait for Mr. Potter before beginning your work. _If you don't mind_, of course."

"_Great,_" she let out reluctantly. "I'll wait for Mr. Potter then."

"You have some tea here, along with food and a few newspapers,," Kingsley said with a wave of hand at the coffee table next to him. "London missed you, Hermione," he added with a smile before leaving the room.

"And I didn't miss this place...," Hermione muttered once alone.

**XxX**

_Dobby was dead. Hermione closed her eyes, doing her best not to cry in front of everyone. She had never been really close to the house elf, at least not like Harry had been in the past, but she couldn't help but feel hopeless, drained from all of her energy. She realised that everyone could die at any moment: Ron, who had joined them once again a few days before, the members of the Order..._

Harry.

_Everyone could die, even her parents who were in Australia could leave this world, and they would leave it without even knowing that they had a girl. _

_Hermione took a deep breath, her right hand over her neck, as if it would be enough to ease the pain that she was currently feeling. Her whole body was sore, tortured during so many hours by one sick woman called Bellatrix Lestrange. When she looked at her right hand, she realised that it was red with her own blood. Frowning, she touched her neck wound another time, and noticed that the crazy witch had really cut her throat. Not deep enough to kill her, of course, but the pain was hard to handle, and she let herself fall on the sand, not paying attention to everyone who was running toward them. _

_Harry was crying in front of her, the thin body of Dobby in his arms, and he didn't move when Bill came next to him, a sad expression all over his face. _

"_'Ermione, are you ok?" _

_The brunette looked up, just to see Fleur Delacour's pretty face a few inches from her, her hand over her shoulder._

"_My neck...," she managed to say in a hoarse voice, waiting for Fleur to tell her how profound her wound was._

"_Oh, 'Ermione...," she whispered, her hand entering in contact with the wound, making Hermione shudder. "Let me 'elp you, you will be better inside ze 'ouse."_

_Hermione shook her head erratically, not wanting to go inside. "I can't leave Harry here, I can't..."_

"_Bill is going to take care of 'Arry, don't worry." _

"_No, no, I need to be here for him, just help me to..." _

"_You're bleeding, 'Ermione," Fleur insisted. "I need to take care of your wound." _

_Hermione was starting to feel dizzy, and with a sigh, she eventually accepted._

"_Alright..." _

_During all the time that Fleur needed to heal her, she couldn't think about anything else than Harry. All that she wanted was to be next to him, to show him that she was here for him, like she had always been. _

**XxX**

And now, Hermione wanted everything but being next to Harry Potter. Knowing that he was supposed to come into the room where she was in a few minutes was enough to make her uncomfortable. If there was a way for her to return to New-York, she would do it without thinking about the consequences.

For the umpteenth time, she took a deep breath and fanned herself with her hand, a way for her to calm down.

When the door of the office opened, she didn't move. Since her armchair was turned toward the window, she couldn't be seen; she _couldn't see him_ either. Had he changed? She couldn't tell. Had he taken a few inches? She didn't know.

Slowly, she raised from her armchair, using its arms to support her weight. She then counted to three and turned around.

He had changed; of course he had. He was taller than in her memories, and his hair cut... it was different. Different from the last time when she had the opportunity to lay eyes on him. He was like an improved version of himself, stronger, more confident. His arms crossed over his chest showed how on the defensive he was, but Hermione couldn't blame him for it: for sure, she wasn't the only person here who wasn't pleased to be in this room.

"Hello," she muttered, before cursing herself for not having say it in a much louder voice.

Harry remained silent for a minute or two, enough to drive Hermione crazy.

"Hello to you too," he eventually said in a deep and calm voice, staring at her with no hint of a smile on his lips.

_This week is going to be fabulous_, Hermione thought sarcastically.

She couldn't have been more right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

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**A Sky Full Of Stars**

**III**

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"_Are you alright?" _

_Harry's voice shook Hermione out of her torpor. She was sitting next to the window of her room, looking dreamingly at the outside of Shell Cottage. They were here since two days, and she was slowly recovering, not fast enough in her opinion though._

_Hermione turned her attention toward Harry, and smiled at him. _

"_Yes, I'm as fine as I can be given the circumstances. How are you?" _

"_Fine, I guess...," he sighed and sat on the bed next to her armchair. "Ron is with Bill, they are strengthening the spells around the house. _

"_Do they need some help?," Hermione asked while doing a movement to get up._

"_No, it's fine, I've already asked," Harry calmed her, a hand over her forearm. "Are you really alright? I mean, your neck and everything." _

_Hermione sat once again, and nodded slowly. "Yes, it's fine. Fleur took care of me, and she did an amazing job." _

_It was the first time since their unexpected arrival at Shell Cottage that they were alone together, and the young woman could almost feel the difference between them. When they were alone, every word seems to be a challenge, every movement was understood differently; It was like they were scared to be next to each other, scared of the electricity between them. _

"_And what about your other wounds?" _

"_I don't have other wounds," Hermione chuckled. "Thanks Merlin for small miracles." _

"_She used the Cruciatus Curse on you, Hermione," Harry let out in a breath, gazing intensively at her. _

"_I know," she simply said, her eyes escaping Harry's gaze. "But it's not a big deal." _

"_You can't fool me, Hermione. I know how it feels..." _

_He took her hand into his, bending over to do so, just to see Hermione shaking her head vehemently. _

"_I'm sure that it was different. Voldemort is stronger than Bellatrix, and..." _

"_I heard your screams." _

_Hermione didn't intend to cry; she cried a lot the previous days, and she thought, naively, that she was almost dried inside, that no tears could escape from her eyes anymore. But when Harry squeezed her hand a little harder, she started to sob uncontrollably, her head bent down, not wanting to be seen in a moment like this. _

_Harry did what she thought he would do: he didn't move. He just stayed here, his hand around her own, caressing the palm of her hand from time to time. He just waited for her to stop, for her to calm down. Ten minutes were necessary for her to do so, and when her sobs started to calm down, Harry handed her a handkerchief. _

"_Better now?" he slowly asked, moving his hand to her knee to give her the opportunity to wipe off her tears. _

"_Yes, thank you." _

_A silence then settled between them, and to Harry's surprise, it was Hermione who broke it a few minutes later._

"_It was awful," she began in a shaking voice, still not daring to look at him in the eyes. "I mean... I thought that it wouldn't stop, that she would continue until I die. I thought about so many things. I lost hope, Harry, and I realise that I wanted to die for a moment or two, just to make it stop. _

"_Somehow, when her dagger was next to me, I thought that it would be a good idea to just take it, you know, just because I didn't want to give her the satisfaction to kill me. If I had to die, I didn't want her to be my executioner." _

"_I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry simply said, and Hermione realised that he thought that it was his fault. _

"_Don't be," she said before smiling at him. "It would have happened anyway, even if I wasn't with you. Or who knows, it could have been worse." _

"_How are you feeling this then? I mean, the aftereffects..."_

"_It's harder than what I thought it would be like. My body is constantly sore, and... it still hurts. It's not the same kind of pain, of course, but it hurts. It's even worse during the night," she admitted, wiping off a lonely tear on her right cheek. _

"_Maybe that Fleur can help you with that, she had some amazing ointments." _

"_I've already asked her. She needs at least three or four days to prepare the good one, but I'm not sure if we have the time to wait." _

"_We can wait. We are not going to leave this house until you're better." _

"_It's not a big deal if we ca–"_

"_We are going to wait," Harry interrupted her. "Come here." _

_He got up, and invited Hermione to do the same. A second later, she was into his embrace, his lips gently kissing the top of her head. She felt same, like every time she was with him, close to him. _

"_Thank you," she muttered, her face close to his chest. _

_When she tried to get free from his embrace, she looked up at him and realised that his lips were so close from hers, so close... Harry slowly caressed her cheek, and for a second, she thought that he would kiss her. Just for a second. The second after, Ron's voice reached their ears, and they swiftly moved away from each other. _

"_I'm coming," Harry said in a low voice, answering to Ron. _

_With a last look full of unsaid things, Harry left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. _

**XxX**

"Did you travel well?"

Hermione tried to smile at him, but she soon realised that she couldn't manage to give him a _real smile_. Her expression was close to a grimace, and she quickly abandoned this idea.

"Yes, everything went well, thank you."

"I didn't think that you would really come, to be honest," Harry let out, before heading to the desk to take a pile of parchments.

"I'm just here to do my job, nothing more."

It was the truth, wasn't it? Even if a small part of her had expected to see him after all these years – a masochist part of her, of course –, she was just here to do her job after all.

"I guess that you were as excited as I was when you learned that you were supposed to work with me," the green-eyed wizard said sarcastically while reading his files, not paying that much attention to her.

"Of course, I wouldn't let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers."

Harry suddenly looked up at her, and put his files back on the desk.

"You've changed," he noticed, letting his gaze going from her face to her feet.

"And so have you," Hermione admitted in a breath. "Getting older suits you well."

She inwardly rolled her eyes when these words escaped from her mouth: the last thing that she wanted to do was to compliment him, and she just did it.

But Harry was quite right: she'd changed. Her hair was slightly lighter than usual, and her former untamed mane was now shiny and disciplined. She was a littler taller too, but not as much as Harry was. Since the end of the War, she had gained a few pounds, something that she needed after having lost so much weight while being on the run for almost a year.

"When are we going to work together then?," Hermione interrupted the flow of her own thoughts, suddenly thinking about what she was supposed to do here during a week.

"Now, if you want to follow me," Harry swiftly said before heading to the door.

Hermione followed him, doing her best to walk at his pace despite her high heels.

"Where are we going to?"

"I guess that the first place that you want to see is Mr. Tellington's office, am I right?"

"You are," Hermione whispered, hoping that they weren't far from this place.

Eventually, they arrived in front of the office of the accused Auror, and Hermione gave Harry a side-glance.

"Are you going to be with me the entire time?"

"Trust me, it's not a pleasure for me either. But it's my job as the Head of the Auror office, and yes, I have to be with you the entire time," Harry sighed, his expression undecipherable. "Come in."

Hermione swallowed hard; she had never liked to be spy on during her investigations, and it would be even harder with Harry Potter next to her. Without a single word, he sat in the armchair in front of Mr. Tellington desk, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you waiting for to look for the evidences that you need?," he asked her like she was the dumbest person in the world, his fingers drumming at a rapid pace on the arm of the chair.

"Nothing," Hermione said back, her head up. She wouldn't be intimated by him, not in the slightest.

With as much pride as she could, she tried to avoid his presence in the room and started to look into Mr. Tellington files. She did it for at least twenty minutes, doing her best not to be too disturbed by Harry's attitude, but his ceaseless sights didn't help her to do so.

"Will you be over soon?" he asked with a disdain that she didn't know he would be capable of.

"I'm _working_," Hermione retorted without even looking up from the parchment that she was reading. "If you're not happy with it, you can send another person, I really don't mind."

Actually, she would be more than pleased to have someone else looking after her. Even Argus Filch would be better than Harry at the moment.

"It's my job," Harry grumbled.

"Then do it without disturbing me, please."

He didn't say another word, and Hermione continued to work in silence, looking at him from time to time. Despite the fact that he was almost continuously frowning – a perfect sign of his annoyance toward her –, Harry was still handsome, as handsome as in her dreams. They didn't occur that much, – the dreams –, but when she had one of them, Hermione couldn't focus on her job for almost two days. She always was disturbed by them, and always thought that it was a sign that she needed to come back, just to talk to him, to explain everything.

But she had never been able, never had the courage to do so.

Of course, Hermione didn't find anything valuable in Tellington's office after two hours of research.

"I need to talk to his co-workers."

"I'm here, right in front of you," Harry sarcastically grinned. "What do you want to know?"

"I'd prefer to talk to you later, if you don't mind. You are the Head of the Auror office, and your interview could be decisive."

"Alright," he said, not wanting to argue with her. "I'll lead you to the other Aurors then. But be aware that not all of them are here at the moment, they are on a mission. The rest of my co-workers will be here at the end of the week. I guess that it explains why you are going to stay so long among us."

Hermione got up from her chair and took the few files that she thought would be valuable in the future.

"Let's go then."

* * *

**Thank you for reading this story. I hope that you like it so far and that you're not too disturbed by the flash-backs. If you are, don't hesitate to say it, since it's the first time that I write a Harmony story like this one. :) **

**More soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

_"Harry…"_

_The name of the young man escaped Ginny's lips, and a second later, she was into his embrace, hiding her face into the crock of his neck._

_"I knew that you were alive…," she continued with her eyes closed, oblivious to everything but her own thoughts._

_Hermione was behind Harry, next to Ron, and was trying to answer to everyone's questions. They weren't many, but they had a lot of questions, so many questions that it was hard to follow. At the same time, her eyes were still on Harry and Ginny, for a reason that was beyond her. Why did she want so bad to see how Harry would react to Ginny's embrace? To be fair, they were supposed to be a couple since the end of their sixth year. _She's his girlfriend_, she said to herself, surprised to feel her heart beat faster while looking at them._

_"Are you alright?," she heard Harry ask Ginny. "I've heard about the cruciatus curse… Tell me that you're okay."_

_His voice was full of concern, and when he took Ginny's head into his hands and she put herself on tiptoe to kiss him, Hermione looked away, ashamed to act like a voyeur. It wasn't her story; it was Harry and Ginny's, the one that they were building together since at least last year._

_"It's over now," Ginny answered before kissing The Boy Who Lived again. "I'm just glad to have you here, oh Merlin, Harry, it was so hard without you…"_

_Ginny had never been that demonstrative toward anyone, even her own parents, which seemed to surprise Harry as much as Hermione. But he hide it well to everyone — not well enough for her to not see him freeze for a second when Ginny uttered these words._

_"I need to find something," he eventually said while breaking free from her embrace. "I need to find something that is in the castle," he repeated louder for everyone to hear._

_At least half a dozen of student started to ask many questions, creating a babel of noises, distracting Hermione from Harry and Ginny for a few moments._

_There were more important things to take care of right now, and she smiled back at Ron absentmindedly._

* * *

"Congratulations, by the way," Hermione eventually said when they arrived in front of another Auror's office: the fifth of the afternoon.

"Congratulations?"

"You're quite young to be the Head of the Auror Office if you want my opinion."

Harry simply nodded, and he was about to knock at the door when Hermione put her hand over his forearm. He froze, fighting the need to push her hand away and to tell her to keep her distances.

"Harry…," she began, her voice unsure.

"Please don't, Hermione. I don't want to hear you right now. Please save your apologies for someone interested in them."

"I was not about to apologize," she snapped, retiring her hand as if he burnt her.

"Why did you touch me then? To remember the good old days?," he snarled.

"I… I don't…"

"You don't know? Oh, this is interesting. For once, Hermione Granger doesn't know something. To be honest, you know anything. You are here to do your job, so do it. But do not think that you… That you and I are going to be friends in the future. You decided to leave five years ago, and… Merlin knows how hard I tried to find you and to bring you back, but… but you made your decision and it's not my fault. For once, it's your fault, Hermione. I apologized more than once and it wasn't enough, was it? It was _your own fucking decision_."

With a last look for her, he turned around and knocked at the door, leaving her speechless. Hermione wanted to tell him so many things, to defend herself, and she didn't know if it was out of pride or because she really needed him to understand her point of view.

"Alright," she simply said while the door opened in front of them.

"What is that for?," the Auror who opened the door asked, and Hermione introduced herself, not waiting for Harry to do it.

"I just have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind," she continued, struggling to smile.

"Marcus, I have things to do," Harry almost cut Hermione off. "Please walk Miss Granger off after your interview."

"But… But you can't leave, y—"

"As the Head of Auror Office, I trust Marcus enough to do this job for me. Have a nice day."

Harry Potter turned around, not waiting for her to retort, and Hermione looked at him walking from her with a weird twinge of regret.

"Can we start, Miss Granger?," Marcus asked, and Hermione was drawn from her torpor.

"Of course…"

* * *

_"You did what?"_

Kingsley Shacklebolt haw knew from the beginning that it was a bad idea to ask Harry Potter to look after Hermione Granger during her stay at the Ministry. But he couldn't do differently; it was the protocol, and he needed to stick with it. And so did Harry.

"I can't spend one more minute with her, Kingsley, I'm sorry, bu—"

"It is not possible, Harry, and you know it."

"Nobody has to know that I am not with her constantly! You can just ask someone else to do it, and…"

"It is the protocol, _Auror Potter_!"

Harry cringed, as if Kingsley had insulted him. Kingsley Shacklebolt was a friend, a true and loyal friend since he was a teenager, and the last thing that Harry wanted was to disappoint him.

"I know the protocol very well, Minister."

"So you have to follow it. I am sorry, Harry," he continued, his voice softer this time. "I truly am sorry, but you cannot put your feelings before your duty. It is just a matter of a week. Besides, Hermione was your closest friend during so many years… I cannot believe that your relationship with her is so poisoned that you cannot stand to be in the same room without loosing your temper like that."

"You don't know what happened…," Harry muttered, his hand gently caressing his glass of whisky.

"And I am not asking you to tell me what happened. I am just asking you to do your job."

Harry remained silent, but eventually nodded.

"Alright. What is she supposed to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet, you have to check with her. She told me before leaving for her hotel that she would be here around 9 o'clock. Be sure to be here to greet her and to follow her during her investigations. Moreover, there are a few things that you need to do for me too."

"I am listening."

"As you may know, things are not the best between the United States' Ministry and ours. I suspect their Minister of Magic to spy us, in a way…"

"What is the problem with Hermione?"

"Think twice, Harry…"

"You think that she is involved in this mess… You think that she is the psy," Harry retorted after a few moments of silence.

Shacklebolt nodded, and drank a mouthful of whisky.

"Exactly. I think — and I am not the only one — that Tellington was just a way for Peter Grindwald to send someone here; someone that couldn't be seen as a suspect because we know her, because she is our friend."

"She's not."

"Their Minister of Magic is not supposed to know that. As far as he is concerned, you are her best friend, and I am sure that Hermione was wise enough to keep your… little conflict quiet. Anyway… You have to keep an eye on her. This is the main reason why you are the best person to follow Hermione; you are our best asset. That, and… the protocol, of course."

"You could have told me this before," Harry mumbled.

"I thought that your conscientiousness would have been enough, to be honest," Kingsley chuckled.

"So I have to spy on her, while she thinks that she is the one who is spying, right?"

"Well, to be fair, we don't know for sure that she is spying for Grindwald, so…"

"She wouldn't have come here, knowing that I would be around, if it wasn't for a good reason. I know Hermione."

"Don't be too harsh on her, Harry. She is a great woman."

Harry raised an eyebrow, and cleared his throat before talking again.

"She was a great woman. She truly was before leaving for good without an explanation."

"Listen… I don't know what happened, but maybe that it is time for peace, don't you think? I know you since you are a kid, Harry, and I know that her absence affected you more than you admit it. Just… don't let your bitterness destroys everything."

Kingsley Shacklebolt didn't wait for Harry to retort, and left the room without another word. Alone, Harry continued to stare at the fireplace for a minute or two, lost in his thoughts.

She was here, finally. After all these years, Hermione Granger was in London, and the only think that Harry wanted to do was to go knock at her door and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. But he couldn't; he couldn't do it after all that happened in the past. It was like a heavy burden over his shoulders, preventing him from doing what he really wanted.

He had kissed her before; several times. He had explored her mouth with the greed of a teenager, touching her body with his impatient hands. She had moaned under his touch, and it was a feeling that he would never forget.

_Never._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

_**Thank you for your amazing reviews. As a gift for being so nice, here are another short chapter. I hope that you'll like it!** _

* * *

_"It's over now, it's over…" Harry muttered to Hermione, his hands buried into her wild mane of brown hair. He continued to caress her head, slowly, not thinking about ahas was happening around not, not paying attention to everybody who was currently gazing at them with intense emotion written all over their face._

_After all these years, after all these months on the run, after the final battle which cost them a lot of their friends and relatives — it was finally over. To know that the biggest treat in the wizarding world was currently just a memory was quite weird as a feeling, and Harry couldn't really believe it. The words that he was chanting, almost like a prayer, were one of the only things that seemed to be real at the moment. This, and to have Hermione into his embrace. She was slowly breathing, not saying a word, and Harry wondered what could she possibly think about. Their victory, that was for sure, but was it the only think that she had in mind at the moment?_

_"You should go and check everyone," she eventually murmured, getting free from his embrace at the same time. "They probably need you more than I do."_

_Harry looked at her, puzzled. He saw her erasing a single tear on her check while smiling at him._

_"It's okay," she answered to his unsaid question. "Go, we'll talk later."_

_"Harry!"_

_Ginny's voice was coming toward them, and Harry just had to turn around before having her into his embrace — just where Hermione was moments prior. Ginny was smaller than Hermione, and he had to bend over a little not to hurt her. She was sobbing, and it was enough for Harry not to notice Hermione's departure from the room._

_"Are you okay?" he eventually asked Ginny, when she seemed to calm down a little._

_"Fred…," she managed to utter between two sobs, her little frame shaking from sadness._

_Fred. Fred Weasley. One of the funniest guys that Harry had ever known._

_"Where is he?"_

_Harry did his best to keep a steady voice, but it was one of the hardest things that he did that day. To fight Voldemort was something; it had been, to be honest, one of the hardest and most heroic thing that he had done during his entire life. But to cope with the loss of people he loved, people he truly cared about, was another thing, even more difficult to do. And knowing that Ginny Weasley lost a part of her family added some guilt to the equation._

_She took his hand into hers, and he followed her absentmindedly. It wasn't the time to turn around; right now, everybody needed him: especially the Weasleys._

* * *

When Hermione arrived at the Minister of Magic that morning, she was surprised to be face to face with Harry Potter in the elevator.

"Good morning," he welcomed her with a hint of a smile.

"What are you doing here?," she couldn't help but ask, wondering why did he change so drastically during just a night.

"The same thing that you are doing: working. I failed my mission yesterday, and I wanted to apologize; it will not happen again."

"Unfortunately," she simply muttered, not trying to hide her bitterness.

She had thought about the situation all night, unable to sleep, knowing that Harry was in the same town as she was. She had tried during so many years to forget about him, to find closure to this story, but it had been harder than she had thought. He was still here, hidden in a little drawer of her memory, threatening to turn everything upside down. His green and vivid eyes couldn't be forgotten, along with his wild mane of black hair. _Unforgettable_.

"Did you do all your interviews yesterday?"

"Yes," Hermione swiftly answered. "Well, at least I interviewed the Aurors who where at the Ministry."

"Four of them are coming back tomorrow. Did you find something valuable?"

"Not really to be honest. Moreover, if I find something valuable, you will not be the first to know, I'm sorry," she retorted with an ironic smile.

"Too bad," Harry smiled while leaving the elevator with Hermione next to him. "So, what do want to do today? You've already inspected Tellington's office, you interviewed the Aurors who are here… I guess that there aren't a lot of things to do right now."

They continued to walk towards Harry's office, and Hermione bit her lower lip, a gesture that Harry knew too well. The young woman always did that when she was uncomfortable or wanted to ask something that she knew was forbidden. "Stay focus Harry," he urged himself inwardly.

"Well, I guess that you can show me around? I mean, it's been quite a long time that I left London, and I don't know the Ministry really well since… the War. I guess that things have changed here, and who knows… Maybe that I'm going to work here one day or another," she concluded with a laugh, inappropriate to Harry's eyes.

"Really?," he simply asked while opening the door of his office and letting Hermione come in.

"Really," she confirmed, nodding her head at the same time.

"Why would you want to work here, Hermione? Should I remind you that I work here too? As far as I know, you don't really want to be close to me."

"People changed," Hermione retorted, not intimidated in the slightest by the tall man in front of her.

"You changed," Harry muttered, while taking a step toward her. He was close, too close for her own good.

"Did I?"

"Yes. You're different, Hermione. More mature, indeed, more…fragile too. You seem to have been through a lot, and I don't even know what it is."

His voice was soft, and Hermione blinked several times, fighting with the tears that threatened to fall over her checks within seconds. She didn't even know why she was so emotional; he didn't say anything bad. He just said the truth.

"Why did you come back?" he pushed her despite her silence, and for once since her arrival here, Harry seemed to be sincere.

"I'm just doing my work," she answer in a murmur, avoiding his gaze.

"You could have asked someone to do it…"

"Could you?"

"Well, good point," Harry conceded. "But you can't look at me in the eyes and tell me that you didn't want to see me, Hermione, I know you too well."

"You're wrong."

"You're delusional."

"Am I?"

"You are. I know you. I know you since we are eleven. I know everything about you. I know how narrow-minded you can be sometimes, I know how clever you are… I know how good your lips taste…"

Harry was closer than ever, and Hermione felt the cold wood of the door behind her back, preventing her from leaving his office.

"Please don't," she muttered, knowing what he was about to do; she knew it because it was exactly what she wanted to do right now.

"I'm not going to kiss you…"

"You said it the first time…"

Harry couldn't refrain from smiling, thinking about the first time they kissed.

"Alright, you've got a point," he said before turning around and heading toward his desk, leaving her speechless. "But I'm not going to kiss you this time. For real."

Hermione nodded, but inwardly she wasn't sure whether she was happy with the situation or not.

"Well, Hermione, I just have a few files to check, so you can do whatever you want in the mean time. I can be with you at noon, and we can have lunch together. It will give us the opportunity to make up for lost time. What do you think?"

"And what about the whole "show me around" thing?"

"We can do it this afternoon if it suits you. You can continue to check Tellington's office in the mean time, or go and talk to Kingsley if he's available for example."

"Alright," Hermione conceded. "I'll find a way to keep myself busy this morning."

"I'm sure you will," Harry answered with an intense gaze before looking down at his files when she opened the door of his office to leave.

When Hermione closed the door behind her, Harry put down his files — some uninteresting files about ancient missions — and stared at the door. He had done what he needed to do to win Hermione's trust, and he wasn't about to stop when things were going so well. Now that she had all the time that she needed to "spy" on them — if it was her purpose of being here —, he had to keep an eye on her.

And today was the good moment to do it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

_12, Grimmauld Place was quiet that evening and Harry was alone, something unusual since the end of the War, a week ago. He had spent the majority of his time at the Weasleys' new house, a little and charming place contrary to the Burrow. Ginny and Molly had insisted to be with him __—__or was it the other way around? __—__during this hard time, when all of them needed to deal with a lot of things __— __deaths mostly. _

_But there was also hope: hope that the future would be brighter, hope that all the bad things remained in the past for good. _

_Harry haven't had the opportunity to be alone with Hermione during this week, even if she was at the Weasleys' too. Ginny always wanted to be with him, and even if Harry knew that it was his duty to look after her __— __she lost her brother for a reason after all __—__, he also wanted to be alone with Hermione, just to know what was happening between them. _

_But was there really "something" happening between them? As far as he was concerned, Harry was supposed to be in a relationship with Ginny, and Hermione__… __Well, she seemed to be really close to Ron these days, he thought with sourness. They always were together, and to be honest, it wasn't something that Harry wanted to witness. Hermione was always cheering Ron up, always taking him by his arm, always__… __being too close. _

_That was mostly the reason why he had told them that he wanted to be alone tonight. Actually, Harry had said that he had some papers to take care of, but he just wanted to be alone, far from all this mess, far from these people who were faking to be good when everything were clearly wrong. _

_"Harry?" _

_Hermione's voice made him jump from his armchair, and Harry quickly got up, surprised._

_"How did you__…__?" _

_"You forgot to lock the chimney in the dining room," she explained. " The members of the Order still can come here whenever they want." _

_Her chestnut eyes were sparkling, and her hair was up, in a messy ponytail. Harry breathed out slowly._

_"You scared me__…__"_

_"I'm sorry, I didn't intent to. I just wanted to see if everything was okay. You seemed to be confused when you left." _

_"I just wanted to be alone." _

_"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to be alone after__…__" _

_"After what, Hermione?," Harry asked her, noticing her hesitation._

_"After everything we've been through. Together." _

_She walked toward him and sat on the sofa, next to his own armchair. Harry sat down too, waiting for her to continue. _

_"I know that we didn't have the opportunity to talk since the end of the Battle. Truth to be told, no one asked you if you were okay. I guess that I can understand why, since__… __well__… __They lost a child, a brother." _

_"I can't blame them."_

_"Me neither," Hermione swiftly added. "It's just__… __I care for you, Harry. And I know that you're not the kind of person who talks a lot in public, so__… __We have plenty of time now if you want to talk to me." _

_And so, they spoke. They spent all the night talking, and from time to time, Harry would go and make two cups of tea. It was the first time in months that Harry felt completely safe, and the first time in weeks that someone seemed to be genuinely concerned about his feelings. No one had asked him what he was thinking about, they all thought that he was alright since Voldemort was now dead. But he was; he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he had lost his family, his dear friends in the process. And above all, to know that everything was over made him wonder how his life would be from now on: there was no other threat around, everyone was finally safe and__… __and what about him? Should he continue to live a life full of adventure or should he stop and take a break from everything? _

_Hermione listened to him, knowing that Harry didn't need her to give him advices: he just needed her to be here for him, to listen to him, and it was totally fine to her. _

_"You're the only one person who totally understands me after all," Harry eventually whispered around 5a.m. _

_"You are," Hermione corrected with a smile._

_"I'm not really sure about that, to be honest," Harry shook his head in denial. "Sometimes, you help me take decision that I'm not sure I would take alone. I always thought that Ron was closer to me than you are, but__… __even if I like him and he is like a brother to me, you, Hermione__… __you are better than that. You complete me." _

_"I do my best to help you," Hermione conceded. _

_"No, you don't understand. It's stronger than that. I can't really explain what it is but, it's like__…__"_

_"We are soul mates," Hermione cut him off, her lips pursed in a curious way._

_Harry looked at her, and Hermione had the feeling that she would drown herself into the green in his eyes. Harry seemed to be so close, but yet so far. His hand wasn't far away, and Hermione quickly looked down, disturbed by the moment they were sharing._

_"I'm just kidding," she laughed, embarrassed by the intense silence between them. _

_"You must be right, as usual," Harry retorted, not paying attention to her last sentence. "We have a bond; a strong one. You cannot deny it." _

_"We shouldn't have this conversation__…__" _

_"Why are you so afraid?," Harry muttered when Hermione got up from the couch and put her cup of tea back on the coffee table. _

_"I'm not," she lied cheekily. "I just don't think that it's an acceptable conversation, given the fact that__… __that you are currently in a relationship." _

_"What we share is so much than that, Hermione__…__" _

_"I know," she conceded half-hearted. "I know. But it doesn't change the fact that it is indecent. Fred's funeral is in two days, we can't just forget it because it is easier for us." _

_There was no need for them to confess their feelings toward each other: they both knew that they were connected in the purest way._

_"I've got to go," Hermione continued, doing her best not to look at him. _

_Harry followed her in the long corridor leading to the front door, and Hermione closed her eyes when he put his hand over her forearm. _

_"Look at me," he urged her. _

_Slowly, Hermione turned around, and faced him, not uttering a single word._

_"I want to kiss you. Now," Harry muttered, waiting for her approval. _

_"We can't always have what we want, Harry__…__," Hermione simply said, even if she just wanted to say the contrary. "Goodnight." _

* * *

Hermione was writing her report when someone knocked at the door of her office — or technically, Tellington's office.

"Come in", she said aloud, still focused on the sentence that she was writing.

"It's lunch time," Harry said, gazing at her intensely.

"Oh… I'm sorry, you know how I am when I'm working… I lose track of time. "

"Ready to go?"

"Yes… Sure."

Hermione packed her things, swiftly put her notebook into her bag and followed Harry.

"Where are we going?," she asked when they left the Ministry, letting the cold wind of London threatening their faces.

"A charming restaurant not so far from here," Harry explained, his hands in the pockets of his dark suit. "I'm sure that you'll like it."

Hermione remained silent and walked next to Harry, despite the fact that she felt small toward him, even with her high heels. They walked for another five minutes before arriving in front of the restaurant. It was a cosy restaurant — cosy but modern. At the first sight, Hermione liked it.

"It's beautiful," she stated when they sat down.

"Not as beautiful as in New-York I guess."

"It's different. I mean, of course, New-York has its fair share of amazing restaurants, but here, in Europe, we have something different. Something more… distinguished."

"Why did you leave Europe if it was so _distinguished_?"

"I had my reasons," Hermione quickly retorted, looking down at the menu to avoid other questions from the man in front of her.

"I was one of these reasons," Harry insisted, still gazing at her.

"Maybe," she conceded, while looking up from the menu to face him. "But I don't really want to talk about it today, if you don't mind."

"No problem," the green-eyed wizard said with a sarcastic smile. "How is your investigation going, then?"

"Well, to be honest, I didn't find anything interesting about Tellington. But, I'm sure that you won't disagree with me, the English Ministry is good at hiding things."

"We are not the only ones."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

They faced each other during long seconds, but then the waitress came and they ordered their meals.

"Tell me, Hermione, what did you do during all these years?"

"I traveled a lot," she started. "France, Canada, United Stated… Australia," she finished in a murmur. "Well, it was great. Most of the time."

"All of these countries… Before or after finding your parents?"

Hermione breathed slowly before answering.

"Both."

"I guess that you had fun then. How many men?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, don't act like you didn't understand," Harry chuckled while the waitress put their dishes on the table. "Thank you," he said to the tall blonde before she left with a smile. "What was I saying… Oh, yes. We both know that you didn't spend five years without being with — _at the very least_ — one man, Hermione."

"I don't think that it is any of your business," Hermione managed to say through clenched teeth, amazed by his nerve.

"No, it's not," Harry admitted. "But you are my friend, aren't you? Friends know everything about each other."

"You stopped being my friend the moment we kissed."

"Just as you stopped being my girlfriend the moment you left and decided to stop speaking to me."

"I never was your girlfriend, keep your facts straight, Harry," she snapped.

They remained silent a few moments. Harry couldn't deny the fact that Hermione had never truly been his girlfriend; it was true. But it hurt to hear her say that out loud: in the past, he had wanted to be more than his best friend, but the situation wasn't easy. The timing wasn't optimal, and he had always thought of what could have been if things were different. _If Fred was still alive_, for example.

"And what about you, Harry? Any girlfriend around?"

"Not at all. I am too busy with work for the moment."

"And Ginny?," Hermione couldn't help but ask.

"She is happily engaged to Neville," Harry answered with a smile. "Their wedding will be next summer."

"Oh… I didn't know. I'm glad to know that they're happy."

"They truly are. It's always a blessing to see them together after all they've been through."

Hermione nodded in silence, not knowing what to do. So Harry was single, and Ginny was engaged to Neville. That was a surprise.

"What about Ron?"

"You don't read the papers, do you?," Harry smiled ironically.

"Not anymore," she admitted in a laugh.

"Ron is fine. He is currently dating Parvati Patil, but who knows… He is a real lady-killer, and the tabloids always talk about his conquests."

"Damn… I missed so much," Hermione rolled her eyes. "But I'm happy to see that everyone seems happy with their lives."

"Are you?"

"What?"

"Are you happy, Hermione?"

She looked right in his eyes, now knowing what to do.

"Well, yes, I guess. It could be worse."

"Are you happy with your job?"

"Yes, of course."

"Are your happy with your sentimental life?"

"I don't understand why you are asking me this question, I mean…"

"Just answer it," Harry insisted before drinking his wine.

"I can't be happy with something nonexistent," she eventually muttered, and Harry had to prick up his ears to listen to her answer.

"And you are telling me this with so much sincerity…"

"I don't know why I should lie to you, Harry. I've always told you the truth."

"Really?," he raised his eyebrow.

"Really," she retorted, with a straight face. "I don't understand why it seems so hard to believe."

"Because you lied to me just before your departure."

"It was different…"

"It wasn't," Harry cut her off with determination. "You said that you were ready to wait and—…"

"And I wasn't, okay? I wasn't ready to wait, and I felt… betrayed, put aside. _It was important to me_, Harry, and you just showed me where your priorities were. It's alright, I get it. Five years later, I finally get it. Don't bother to explain yourself."

Harry remained silent for a few seconds, but eventually opened his mouth just to be cut off by Hermione once again.

"Look, we are here to have lunch together, and I don't think that it is a good idea to talk about this right now," she said slowly. "Why can't we talk about the present instead of the past? Please."

"Alright… I guess that you are right."

Despite his answer, Harry didn't want to let it go. He was sure that Hermione was hiding something, _something important_, something that could change their relationship, and he was determined to find out what it was.

* * *

**Thank you for following this story!**


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